Introduction to Digital Humanities: A-State

Week 6

Shaping the Project: Knowledge Management and Digital Publishing


Digital publishing has inspired a renewed interest in the way that knowledge is structured and communication is shaped.  Whereas some media theorists turn to Deuleze and Guattari's concept of the "rhizome" as a way to understand digital networks (for more go here), a number of literary theorists draw on Espen Aarseth's theory of "non-linearity" to analyze electronic texts. Consider the extent to which digital platforms and tools can alter the way that knowledge is structured, shaped, and communicated as you read and collaboratively annotate:

1. Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, trans. Brian Massumi, 2nd edition (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1987), 3-25. Hypothes.is link.

2. Espen Aarseth "Non-Linearity and Literary Theory" in Noah Wardrip-Fruin and Nick Montfo eds. The New Media Reader, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003), 761-780. Hypothes.is link.

3. Ansley T. Erickson, "Historical Research and the Problem of Categories: Reflections on 10,000 Digital Note Cards." in Kristen Nawrotzki and Jack Dougherty eds., Writing History in the Digital Age, Online (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2013). Hypothes.is link.

Tools: Evernote, Zotero, Hypothesis, Scalar.

Knowledge Management 

By this point in the course you should feel comfortable using the web-annotation app, Hypothes.is. I'd now like to introduce two additional knowledge management tools: Zotero and Evernote.  Zotero helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. Coupled with its web-browser connector and Microsoft Word plugin, Zotero makes it easy to construct libraries, cite sources, and build bibliographies. While Zotero serves a specific function, Evernote can be used for a variety of different ends. To name just a few, Evernote can be used as a digital file cabinet, note-taking tool, journal, and/or project managements system.

Assignment

As a class, create a group Zotero library and shared Evernote notebook titled "Practicum." Use the library and notebook to begin to collect, organize, and discuss research materials for our final project on the history of Arkansas State University. Since we are at the exploratory stage, make sure to collect materials that are focused specifically on Arkansas State in addition to materials that will help us situate Arkansas State within its broader regional, national and/or international contexts. 

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